South Sudan

Since December 2013, CRS and South Sudan have had to confront the reality of fragile, inter-ethnic relationships that have loosely held the country together, devoid of a unifying national identity. The consequence of these weak relationships, coupled with destabilizing political jockeying, has been large-scale fighting and displacement in the world's newest nation. The presence of Catholic Relief Services in South Sudan, together with its local partners, is needed now more than ever to strengthen these relationships and promote healing, while continuing to deliver lifesaving emergency and development assistance.

Stats

Population:

11,562,695 (July 2014 est.)

Size:

248,777 sq. mi.; slightly smaller than Texas

People Served:

918,119

History

Catholic Relief Services has operated in South Sudan since 1983 amidst the country's ever-changing aid scape. For nearly 25 years, CRS supported the people of South Sudan with emergency assistance and conflict mitigation amidst a period of prolonged civil war. In advance of the country's independence in July 2011, CRS increased assistance to basic service delivery while scaling up its efforts to strengthen civil society and reduce the potential of conflict around the 2011 referendum. Following independence, CRS labored to deliver broad-scale recovery and development in areas devoid of basic services for over 50 years.

Partners

Caritas South Sudan is a registered, faith-based organization in South Sudan that helps coordinate the various diocesan Caritas that coat the country. Catholic Relief Service has been working with Caritas South Sudan for more than 2 years on projects related to emergency response.

CRS has a strategic partnership with Caritas South Sudan, developing its institutional capacity through system strengthening and accompaniment. Caritas Juba has four full-time staff that contribute to its program, administration, finance and support functions.

Solidarity with South Sudan is a project that promotes the Kingdom of God in partnership with the local Church and the people of Sudan through the establishment and development of teacher and health training institutes and those pastoral services deemed most urgent.

Solidarity with South Sudan commits its community members to embrace and act out of a spirituality of justice, peace and the integrity of creation marked by proclamation, vulnerability and powerlessness, appreciation and respect for local cultures, dialogue and mutuality, solidarity and accompaniment, reconciliation, reverence for all creation and hope.

Promote agricultural practices that link production to conservation, using local sources where available.

Build capacity of local government extension workers and partners to provide high quality food security services.

Since 2006, CRS has distributed seeds and tools to over 10,000 farmers, largely through seed fairs, which helped create markets for farmers with surpluses to sell to those in need. CRS is currently implementing a large USAID-funded food assistance program that seeks to increase food security and build resilience for over 356,000 individuals collectively in Jonglei State.

The goal of Catholic Relief Services South Sudan's governance program is to facilitate and ensure that South Sudanese communities successfully advocate for more effective and equitable governance. CRS does this through partnerships with the local Church and secular organizations, the host government, nongovernmental organizations and international agencies to efficiently and effectively deliver services to those most in need.

From 2006 to 2008, CRS South Sudan provided a package of technical assistance, established internal control and administrative management systems and afforded the renovation of physical infrastructure for selected local authorities. Through our work, CRS increased social capital among citizens to demand more responsive governance.

Given the ongoing emergencies and hazards in South Sudan, particularly following the political and ethnic crisis that emerged in December 2013, disaster response remains a critical sector for the country program.

In 2011 and 2012, CRS South Sudan responded to support the victims of attacks in and around Abyei state through the support of the Caritas Internationalis coordination unit. CRS also offered nonfood items to victims of inter-ethnic attacks in Jonglei State following large clashes in 2012.

Currently, CRS is engaged in food security, NFI, and shelter and WASH activities across large IDP settlements in Lakes and Jonglei states, serving over 12,000 households.

SILC, short for Savings and Internal Lending Communities–Catholic Relief Services’ flagship microfinance program–has empowered more than 2,000 members in South Sudan to mobilize $95,000 in savings. Members have accumulated $12,113 in social insurance funds, used by individuals to decrease the risk of emergency needs.

The goals of SILC in South Sudan are as follows:

Teach communities the discipline of saving.

Empower vulnerable groups to mobilize their own resources to access credit.

Build solidarity among community members.

Facilitate the accumulation of sufficient assets to allow marginalized groups to escape the cycle of poverty.

The goal of CRS South Sudan's peacebuilding program is to support South Sudanese institutions to actively prepare for, prevent and respond to violent conflicts and to engage in substantive healing and reconciliation work.

From 2009 to 2011, CRS accompanied both the government and the local church in implementing a shared mandate for peacebuilding and to launch dedicated conflict mitigation initiatives in advance of the January 2011 referendum.

CRS' willingness to remain at the side of our partners earned us the confidence and appreciation of South Sudan's government.
Today, CRS is supporting the Committee for National Healing, Peace and Reconciliation to lead a long-term, nationwide effort to truth-telling, healing and eventual reconciliation.

The goals of Catholic Relief Services South Sudan's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene program are as follows:

To support the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation by enhancing its staff's capacity in managing systems.

To empower local communities to care for their water supply and sanitation systems as well as improve their hygiene behaviors.

Our robust program has contributed to the drilling of more than 400 boreholes and the rehabilitation of more than 550 wells since 2006. The program has also trained more than 750 hygiene promoters and built nearly 5,000 latrines throughout the country.